Illuminated changeable sign device



O 14, 1950 e. L. CASTILLON 2,530,044

ILLUMINATED CHANGEABLE SIGN DEVICE Filed July 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1F/ G. .Z.

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Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 ILLUMINATED CHANGEABLE SIGN DEVICE Guillermo Lopez Castillon, San Antonio, Tex. 7Application July 25, 1947, Serial No. 763,682

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to illuminated changeable signs, and moreparticularly to changeable signs of the neon tube type.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved signdevice of the rotary changeable type which is very simple inconstruction, compact in size and reliable in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved changeablesign device which is inexpensive to manufacture, sturdy in constructionand which is easy to maintain in repair.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claim, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a sign device constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional detail view takenthrough the axis of and showing the operating mechanism for the rotorportion of the sign device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional detail view taken on line 33 ofFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional detail view taken on line 4-4of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-sectional detail viewtaken through the upper portion of a modification of a changeable signrotor constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure2.

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing a modifiedcross-sectional shape for the sign rotor thereof.

Figure 8 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional detail view taken online 8-8 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a schematic view of the electrical circuits showing theswitches and switch actuating means of the changeable sign shown inFigure 2 of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, designates generally a sign body secured tothe wall I2 of a building by supporting brackets l3, I3. The sign bodyis hollow, as shown in Figures 6 or '7, and journalled verticallytherein is a shaft member II. In the embodiment of Figures 2, and. 6,shaft l4 carries a vertically extending hollow rotor body I5 which issquare in cross-sectional shape, the front and rear walls of the signbody being apertured so that the rotor body I5 may be positioned with apair of its opposite faces in substantially flush relationship with thefront and rear walls of the sign body, and by rotating the rotor bodyand shaft I4, successive faces of the rotor body may be presented ateach of the sign body wall apertures. Each of the rotor body facescarries a sign tube I6 which may be a conventional neon tube or othersuitable gas tube employed for forming signs.

In the embodiment of Figure 7, the rotor body designated at I5 ishexagonal, and each face thereof carries a sign tube I6, the faces ofthe rotor body being adapted to be successively presented at therespective opposed front and rear wall apertures of the sign bodyresponsive to rotation of the shaft I4 in the same manner as describedin connection with the embodiment i1- lustrated in Figures 2 and 6.

In the embodiment of Figure 2 the shaft I 4 carries a pair oftransformers I8, the secondary of each transformer being connected to aseries arrangement of opposing sign tubes l6, I6 by conductors I9, I9.The primary of each transformer I8 is connected by wires 20, 2|] to arespective pair of diametrically opposed contact terminals 2|, 2|carried by the top wall of the rotor body I5, the respective pairs ofcontacts 2|, 2| being on diameters 90 apart in the embodiment of Figures2 and 6. In the embodiment of Figure 7 there are three transformers andthe primary contacts thereof are carried. on the top wall of the rotorbody on diameters apart.

Secured to the upper Wall portion of the stationary sign body I I bysuitable insulators 22, 22 are pairs of opposed brush members 23', 23'adapted to engage sets of opposed contacts 2| and 2| to energize atransformer I8 when the sign tubes associated therewith are exposed atthe respective front and rear surfaces of the sign II. A wire 24connects brush member 23 to one of the alternating current source linewires. Brush member 23' is connected through a pair of contact arms 25and 26, shown in Figure 8 to a wire 21 which is connected to the otheralternating current source line wire.

Contact arms 26 and 25 are supported by suitable insulator means, notshown, from the top wall of the sign body II. Contact arm 25 isresilient in nature and is biased so that it normally engages contactarm 26. The shaft I4 carries a cam 28 of insulating material whichengages the end of contact arm 25 and is shaped so as to maintain arm 25disconnected from arm 26 until the shaft I4 has rotated into a positioncorresponding to a flush relation of a face of rotor body I5 with anadjacent face of the sign-body. In this position the end of arm 25enters a notch in cam 28 whereby arm is released and engages the arm 26,thereby completing the primary circuit of the corresponding transformerI 8, said circuit bein already closed at the contacts 2I and 2| by therespective brushes 23, 23.

Mounted on the lower portion of the stationary sign body II is a motor29 whose shaft is geared to a vertical shaft 30 journalled in a gear box3| carried by said motor, Shaft 30 carries a gear segment 32 and a discmember 33. Segment 32 substends an angle of 90 and disc member 33 isformed with an arcuate notch 34 also subtending an angle 90 and alignedwith gear segment 32. Shaft 30 is located adjacent rotor shaft I4. ShaftI4 carries a generally square cam member 35 coplanar with disc member 33and extending at its edge adjacent the periphery of said disc member.Shaft l4 also carries a gear 36 adapted to mesh with the gear segment32.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, gear segment 32 is out of mesh with gear 36forv three quarters of a cycle of rotation of shaft 30. During thisperiod, the sign-bearing surfaces of the rotor I5 remain tationary withrespect to the sign body II. When segment 32 rotates into mesh with gear36, shaft I4 also rotates, carrying with it the sign-bearing surfaces ofthe rotor I5. A corner of cam member 35 enters the notch 34 of discmember 33, and when segment 32 completes its engagement with gear 36 thenotch 34 moves past said corner, at the same time causing the cam 35 tobe positively rotated to a predetermined position wherein thesign-bearing surfaces of the rotor are in proper flush relation withrespect to the outer surfaces of the sign body.

Motor 29 is energized from the current source by wires 31 and 38, andincluded in wire 38 is a control switch 39. Connected across switch 39by wires 49 and 4| is a second switch comprising a stationary contactarm 42 to which wire M is connected and a movable contact arm 43 towhich wire 40 is connected. Contact arm 43 is resilient and isself-biased toward contact with arm 42. The end of arm 43 is engaged,however, by a cam 44 carried by shaft I4, said cam 44 being shapedsimilarly to cam 28 but being arranged on shaft I4 so that the contacts42 and 43 are closed only during the period when gear segment 32 is inmesh with gear 36. This insures that a quarter cycleof rotation of shaftI4 will be completed even if switch 39 is opened during said quartercycle. The sign-bearing surfaces carried by rotor I5 will thereforenever be left in partly rotated positions when the control switch 39 isopened.

In normal operation of the device, switch 39 is closed and motor 29 isenergized causing shaft 30 to rotate continuously. By the process abovedescribed, this causes shaft I4 to be rotated a quarter turn atsuccessive regular intervals. As the rotation of the shaft I4 begins,the primary circuit of the transformer l8 energizing the exposed signtubes at the starting position of rotor I5 is opened at brushes 23 and23'. The primary circuit for the other transformer is closed at brushes23 and 23' and at contacts 25 and 25 just as the shaft 14 completes itsquarter cycle of'rotation. The first sign tubes I6, I6 are thereforedark while the rotor I5 moves through its quarter cycle of rotation anda successive set of sign tubes is energized as said quarter cycle iscompleted. The tubes remain I energized through substantially the timeperiod during which gear segment 32 is out of mesh with gear .6- q

Where the cross-sectional shape of the rotor is hexagonal, as in Figure7, the gear segment on shaft 30 and the arcuate notch in the disc memberthereon subtend angles of 60, and the cam member on shaft I4 isgenerally hexagonal rather than square. This provides a 60 angle ofrotation of shaft I4 for every complete cycle of rotation of shaft 30.The switch cams 28 and 44 are formed to open and close their associatedcontacts at 60 intervals instead of intervals.

In the embodiment of Figure 5 only a single transformer is employed,said transformer, shown at I8, being mounted on the top wall of the signbody I I. One of the primary wires 24 is connected to one of thealternating current source line conductors. Supported from the top wallof the sign body by suitable insulating means, not shown, are theseparable contact arms 25' and 26 similar to the arms 25 and 26 shown inFigure 8, and engaging the end of arm 25' is a notched cam 28 carried byshaft I4, said cam 28' being similar to cam 28 of Figurev 8. The otherprimary wire 45 of transformer I8 is connected to contact arm 25', and awire 46 connects arm 26 to the other alternating current sourceconductor. The secondary wires 41. and 48 of transformer I8 areconnected to respective diametrically opposed brushes 49 and 50 securedby suitable insulators to the top wall of sign body II. The brushes 49and 50 are adapted to engage respective diametrically opposed contactterminals 5| and 52 carried on the top wall of rotor I5 when respectiveopposite associated sign-bearing faces of rotor I5 are flush with theouter surfaces of sign body II. oppositely located sign tubes I6, I6carried on said faces are connected in series arrangement and areconnected toterminals 5| and 52 by. respective wires 53 and 54. Wheneach'opposite set of tubes I6, I6 is in the position shown in Figure 5,said tubes are energized from the secondary of transformer I8 throughthe brushes 49 and 50 and the respective contact terminals 5I and 52associated with said tubes. In this position of the rotor I5 the primarycircuit of transformer I8 is closed at contact arms 25, 26 by therelease of contact arm 25' into a notch of cam disc 28' in a mannersimilar to the manner in which contact arm 25 is released by cam 28 inFigure 8.

The other details of the structure of Figure 5 are the same as thosedescribed in connection with the preceding embodiments of the invention.The operation of the embodiment. of Fig ure 5 is therefore substantiallythes ame'jasdescribed in connection with said preceding ems bodimentsexcept that the sign tubes I6, I5 are successively energized from thesecondary of the single stationary transformer I8'instead of fromindividual transformers carried on the rotor of the apparatus.

While certain specific embodiments of a changeable illuminated signdevice have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will beunderstood that various modifications within the spirit of the inventionmay occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, its intended that nolimitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by thescope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is: i

A changeable sign comprising a support, a regular polygonal rotor, ashaft extending through said rotor being fixed thereto and rotatablyjournalled in said support, a motor, a continuously rotating drive shaftoperatively connected to said motor, a gear fixed on said rotor shaft, agear segment fixed on said drive shaft engageable with said gear forintermittently rotating said rotor, a disc fixed on said drive shaft andformed with an arcuate recess on one side in registry with said gearsegment, a cam member on said rotor shaft formed with arcuate side edgesfor engagement with said disc and arcuate corners engageable in therecess in said disc for holding said rotor while said segment is out ofmesh with said gear, lamps carried by the sides of said r0- tor, circuitconnecting means for said lamps including a resilient contact arm, a camon said rotor shaft engaging said contact arm for breaking the lampcircuit in timed relation to the rotation of said rotor, a motor circuitfor said motor including a control switch, and a shunt switch acrosssaid latter switch, said latter switch including a resilient contact armengageable with a fixed contact member, and a cam on said rotor shaftassociated with said first cam and said segment gear engaging saidlatter resilient contact arm for shunting said control switch therebyconnecting the motor circuit to complete each intermittent movement ofsaid rotor.

GUILLERMO LOPEZ CASTILLON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

